Boston has dropped its last five games, including a 129-98 setback
to the Denver Nuggets as 7.5-point road underdogs Tuesday, while going OVER the
betting total for a second consecutive contest.

The Celtics will need to put forth a major effort to snap their
recent woes, considering they’ve dropped 11 consecutive road games against
Western Conference foes dating back to last season.

The franchise is 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS as road underdogs of 9.5 to 12
points during the 2013-14 NBA campaign, with the UNDER cashing in all four of
those opportunities.

Playing without Paul

Los Angeles has gone 11-10 SU without the services of starting
point guard Chris Paul since 2011-12, as it comes off a 101-81 blowout victory
over the Orlando Magic as 7.5-point home favorites Monday.

The Clippers have been getting major contributions from shooting
guard Jamal Crawford over the last three games, as he’s tallied 26 combined
assists in the three games Paul has missed since suffering a shoulder injury.

Over the last two-plus seasons, the franchise is 16-2 SU and 10-8
ATS as home favorites of 9.5 to 12 points, with no clear edge in terms of the
betting total (9-9 Over/Under).

For starters

NBA handicappers may look at backing the road underdog in this
spot, considering the Celtics had all five of their starters averaging 10.9
points or more entering last night’s affair, with forward Jeff Green leading
the charge at 15.9 a contest.

Green netted a game-high 29 points in the team’s 96-88 loss to Los
Angeles as five-point home underdogs on Dec. 11.

Scoring at home

It’s always dangerous to play an UNDER when the Clippers take the
floor at this venue, as they pace the NBA in averaging 109.2 points per game at
home.

Los Angeles has compiled a 15-3 SU record at home—matching the
Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder for the second-best mark in the league in
that situation—trailing only the Indiana Pacers.